Believed Drowned In Wanganui River

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30938, 20 December 1965, Page 18

Believed Drowned In Wanganui River

(New Zealand Preet Association) WANGANUI, December 19. Two Patea persons are missing believed drowned after their motor«boat capsized 13 miles up the Wanganui river this afternoon.

They were: James Taylor, aged 25, of Patea, and Susan Lena Craig, aged 19, of Stafford street, Patea.

George Turner, aged 22, of Te Awe Awe street, Palmerston North, and Joy Patricia Eades, aged 18, of Long Melford road, Palmerston North, passengers in the boat, managed to get to the bank and call the police. Mr Taylor, although a weak swimmer, may have given his life to save Miss Craig, who was a non-swimmer. The river was muddy and heavily snagged in the area where the mishap occurred. The four people had come from Palmerston North for the day and spent the morning water-skiing at Wiritoa Lake, Kaitoke.

Soon after lunch they decided to take a river trip and started from the Wanganui Motor-boat Club’s slipway at Wanganui East just before 2 p.m. They travelled up river about 15 to 20 m.p.h., and were about 15 yards from the left bank when the boat appeared to ride up in the bow, toss them into the water, and roll over on them. The two men were weak

swimmers and the two girls could hardly swim at all. None wore a life-jacket Mr Turner said that he and Miss Eades struggled for the bank, floating and swimming with the current. He said he saw Mr Taylor grab hold of Miss Craig and try to tow her downstream. The next time he looked he saw Miss Craig’s head bobbing up and down, but there was no sign of Mr Taylor. Mr Turner and Miss Eades reached the muddy bank and walked about half a mile to a shearing shed. A river farmer, Mr J. Williams, took the couple to his house a few yards away and rang the police. Sergeant H. J. Ireland, and Constables J. Rowe and J. McDonald headed a search of the banks and river until dark, but there was no sign of Mr Taylor or Miss Craig. Four boats were quickly in the area and searched until dark. About 3.30 p.m. Barry Earle, Derek Ball and Janice Beauchamp, all of Wanganui, who were in one of the searching boats, found one of the motor-boat’s life-jackets swirling round in a small whirlpool at Mosquito point—about four miles downstream. Mr Turner said at no stage did he feel a bump.

"The boat just seemed to rear up and flip over on us,” he said.

Mr Turner and Miss Eades were taken back to Wanganui after it seemed that all hope for the others had gone.

They were suffering from shock and bruises and abrasions, but were able to continue on to Palmerston North tonight.

The police will cotinue the search tomorrow morning.